Simplicity is Key!

Simplicity is Key!

Simplicity is Key!2012-07-082012-07-08http://bouldercork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cork_logo_web_6.pngThe Best Steakhouse & American Cuisinehttp://bouldercork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cork_logo_web_6.png200px200px

Kate and I just returned from a few days in the Baja. We have dear friends that run a fantastic Italian restaurant in Todos Santos. Ezio and Paula Colombo are the proprietors of the Cafe Santa Fe and have been in business for over 20 years. The restaurant is run in classic Italian fashion by Ezio -simple fresh ingredients prepared with the experience of a true Italian chef. We visit Todos Santos several times a year and dine here almost every meal. We are treated each visit to a dinner with Paula and Ezio. This last trip Ezio treated us to some Bottarga from Sardinia that he just brought back from Italy and said was the Best-of-the-Best! Ezio informed us that this mullet bottarga from Sardinia was much superior to the tuna bottarga from Sicily. Ezio prepared a classic Spaghetti Bottarga that was very simply prepared – spaghetti, olive oil, bottarga and splash of the pasta cooking water. Simple, sublime, perfection! We all had huge smiles on our face as we cleaned our plates. We continued to talk about how when people prepare foods they are often overworked, over seasoned, “over-gourmeted” and the true flavor of the fresh ingredients are lost and covered up.

A simple piece of advice for anyone who reads this is get a great piece of fish from Whole Foods and grill it with nothing more than olive oil, salt and pepper. If you wish add a splash of fresh lemon juice. Here is a picture of one of our favorite dishes at Cafe Santa Fe that Ezio prepares special for us when Spiny Lobsters are in season. His lobster salad: lobsters that have never seen refrigeration that are simply steamed and then drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and topped with fresh cracked pepper and parsley. Heavenly! THAT’S MY KIND OF SALAD!